Nick Clegg: MPs' payrise 'incomprehensible'

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg says it is "incomprehensible" that
MPs should be treated differently to other public sector workers, and that a
pay rise would not help "keep everybody together".

12:07PM BST 11 Jul 2013

MPs facing a major public backlash today when a deal that would see their pay soar by almost £10,000 is unveiled.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) is expected to propose a rise to around £75,000 – but offset it with a crackdown on perks such as dinners on expenses.

The existing final salary pension scheme is also set to be downgraded to a career average system, clawing back some of the millions of pounds in extra salary.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg peaking on the phone-in programme on the London radio station LBC 97.3 said the payrise was "incomprehensible" given the treatment of other public sector workers.

"We're trying to [make savings] as fairly as possible, we're trying to keep everybody together if you like, and I don't think it helps at all in doing that taking one very small, but very prominent, part of the public sector payroll, MPs, and saying you are going to be treated completely differently from nurses, doctors, firemen, firewomen, everybody working in the public sector," he said.